Topics 12 & 13

Topics 12 & 13

Holly Tetreault

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Crisis Management, Seclusion, and Restraint

The Basics

Crisis management, according to the U.S. Department of Education, is vital to helping faculty, students, and parents what the proper steps are in case of an emergency. Emergencies include but are not limited to weather related disasters, intruder alerts, fire related disasters, and attacks on the school. During these crisis events a plan should be set in place. Schools should have a plan to move children to safety, connect with emergency service providers, care for students and faculty in need, and recover from the crisis. These plans should include step by step directions, maps of locations, and procedures for communicating. In addition to having these plans they need to be practiced. Schools are required to have drills to ensure staff know exactly what to do and how to do it in a timely manner in case of disaster.

According to PBIS, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, seclusion and restraint refer to students being isolated or physically prevented from causing or continuing to cause serious harm to themselves and others. They are considered types of interventions in treatments however, data shows that they often reinforce problem behaviors. PBIS also notes that schools that participate in SWPBS, Schools Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, have less need for seclusion and restraint and are often able to use positive interventions to reinforce positive behaviors. Currently seclusion and restraint is a hot topic nationally. It is a highly debated issue that is currently being debated in our government.

Federal Policies and Legislation

Currently districts are responsible for developing their own crisis emergency plans. The U.S. Department of Education offers grants, training, and information to help schools re-evaluate their plans and to create new ones if one does not exist.

The U.S. House recently (March 3^rd, 2010) approved H.R. 4247, the Keeping All Students Safe in Schools Act. The act came about after the U.S. Government Accountability office report showed that there were widespread claims of abuse due to inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion. In some extreme cases is was found that duct tape, rope, chairs with straps, and bungee cords were used as means to restrain and isolate children.

The U.S. Department of Education reports that issues of seclusion and restraint are state issues and vary greatly from state to state. Currently nineteen states have no laws regarding seclusion and restraint. This act will create a federal standard to protect all students in all states. The bill will “prohibit school staff from including restraint or seclusion as planned interventions in student’s education plans, known as Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s).”

Additional Resources

The following are lists of resources by numerous agencies and cites. They are to divided into crisis management and seclusion and restraint. The purpose of these cites is to provide more information on the issues and guide schools, parents, and students in the proper direction.

Crisis Management

The U.S. Department of Education provides additional resources to help schools initiate crisis plans.

Ready America is a government site that connects parents, schools, and communities with information regarding crisis management. There is also a section just for kids.

The National School Safety and Security Services was created to facilitate emergency and crisis plans.

Seclusion and Restraint

The House Committee on Education and Labor provides additional information on current legislation.

PBIS is a great source for alternatives to seclusion and restraint as a means of treating problem behaviors.

The U.S. Department of Education provides information and updates on the status of seclusion and restraint as is becomes a more prominent issue in the national spotlight.

The Autism Self Advocacy Network provides information on the use of seclusion and restraint on students with Autism.